Diospyros texana

Introducing the delectable and versatile small tree or shrub, known for its juicy black fruits and unique bark. Also known as the Texas Persimmon. This tasty tree grows to a height of 10-15 feet, but can reach up to 35 feet in certain southern regions. You can find it in brushy areas, on level uplands, stony hillsides, and lower slopes from Houston and Bryan, Texas, all the way to Big Bend and south to Nuevo Leon in northeastern Mexico.

If you are looking for a Crepe Myrtle replacement, this tree is a real crowd-pleaser.  With smooth, pale greyish-white or whitish-grey bark that peels off to reveal subtle greys, whites, and pinks beneath, you would be fool to think it was a myrtle. Although its a slower grower, patience bears edible once soft sweet fruits are a favorite of many birds and mammals. It has been likened to dates, with with notes of chocolate, honey and the texture of a cooked sweet potato.

Not only is this tree delicious, but it is also extremely drought-tolerant and disease-resistant, making it an ideal choice for small spaces in full sun. The heartwood, found only in very large trunks, is black, like that of the related ebony, while the sapwood is clear yellow.

Texas Persimmon is also a tree that adapts to the weather, North of the Rio Grande Valley, it will lose its leaves in the winter and southward. So in North Texas, Texas Persimmon will be semi-deciduous-to-evergreen, losing its leaves all at once in early spring like live oaks OR with no period of bareness. sometime a mix of both. Just like Texas.

Height: 15’-20’
Spread: 15’-20’
Bloom: March-April
Light: Full Sun, Part Shade
Water: Low
Zone: 7, 8, 9 
Origin: Texas